President’s Report - June 2023
Welcome to the June edition of the AANSW newsletter Orbits. With the colder days of winter approaching, the June meeting is often one of the quietest meetings of the year, so when the AANSW Committee was planning the year ahead, we thought the June meeting would be an ideal opportunity to host an online workshop and we could all stay warm and cosy at home!
In April, when the monthly meeting coincided with Easter Saturday, we held a very successful online mini-workshop with Faye Blake from Amsterdam, so we are hoping for another excellent turnout for international astrologer, Kelly Surtees, formerly from Sydney and now based in Canada. Kelly will be presenting live from Canada on the Progressed Moon and Transits - always a topic of interest to budding astrologers and professional astrologers alike. The online mini-workshop will open at 8:45 am and run from 9:00 am sharp till 12:00 midday in perfect timing for breakfast at home and a mid-morning cuppa. AANSW will return to normal programming for the July meeting on the second Saturday of the month at Drummoyne.
If you would like to attend the June mini-workshop, ‘Predictive Pathways: Working with the Progressed Moon and Transits’ with Kelly Surtees via GoToMeeting, please contact AANSW Secretary Kate Holden through the AANSW website. The deadline for bookings is 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday 9th June and Kate will send the link on the Friday evening. Remote AANSW members and interstate FAA members are very welcome to attend the online mini-workshop.
Website and Social Media
AANSW’s new website has been operating smoothly now for several months, with lots of information on upcoming events, so please pay a visit to the website and give the committee positive feedback on the features you like. This major upgrade to the AANSW website has been undertaken by committee member Penny Walters. Penny also played a key role in the re-branding of AANSW - some fine-tuning remains on the Orbits logo to complete the project. Perhaps you noticed the new notification email this month which looked pretty classy?
Our social media presence on Facebook is growing and Ann Leung is kindly monitoring content behind the scenes. Part of AANSW’s digital transformation has involved new social media accounts including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Page. We have a growing number of members on Instagram and encourage AANSW members to join the conversation. If you experience any problems please advise Penny Walters at <penny@astrologynsw.com.au>.
Michelle Mravunac is continuing her ‘roving photographer’ role at AANSW monthly meetings and on 10th May she was moving around the audience snapping shots of the proceedings. Michelle will soon be interviewing upcoming speakers and posting the interviews online, so AANSW members can get to know the speakers before their presentations.
Anita Ings and Penny Walters have been coordinating monthly updates to the website and Anita has also been filling-in for quite a few months as Newsletter Editor. However, we can now report that AANSW member and astrologer Wendy Blume, who is a graphic designer by profession, has kindly agreed to take on the position of Newsletter Editor from the June edition onwards. Our thanks go to Penny, Michelle, Ann and Anita for their work in the digital, print and social media space, and also to Wendy Blume for taking over as Newsletter Editor.
Last month’s meeting on Saturday 13th May
At the AANSW meeting on 13th May, the committee was delighted to present a double bill, with committee member and professional astrologer Christina Stargazer (aka Christine Thomas) speaking on ‘The Planet Neptune’. Following the afternoon break for refreshments, AANSW member and professional astrologer Georgina Sierra conducted the AstroChat segment with a presentation on ‘The Asteroid Pallas Athena - Embracing the Inner Goddess’.
Christina Stargazer’s presentation on the planet Neptune was very comprehensive and covered the planet’s discovery in 1846, its mythological and philosophical associations, typical meanings and manifestation in the birth chart, with helpful suggestions on to how to handle the oft-times nebulous quality (though precise timing) of Neptune’s transits to the birth chart. Christina began her presentation with a glorious image highlighting the mysterious, other-worldly and sleeping beauty quality of Neptune, followed by many beautifully appointed slides, and finished her presentation with several illustrative chart examples. You can read more about Christina Stargazer’s presentation in the Speaker’s Report in Orbits.
Christina Stargazer (aka Christine Thomas) is a consultant, researcher, and writer who practices Astrology and Numerology. She teaches Astrology to the FAA Syllabus to a professional level and introduces Astrology via short courses. Christine offers private consultations, facilitates experiential and circle work and presents to a variety of community and social groups. Her speciality is Horary Astrology which allows her to assist clients find lost or misplaced items. Her astrological writings have been published in a variety of publications, most recently for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Wellbeing Predictive Almanacs. You can find out more about Christine’s teaching and consulting services on Instagram and Facebook.
Christine co-ordinated the South Coast Astrologers Group with Gary Curci for many years up until COVID-19 appeared and she currently sits on the National Council of the FAA (one of AANSW’s 3 national councillors). Christine served on the AFAN Steering Committee, an international Association for Astrological Networking, for 6 years.
AstroChat
Following afternoon tea, Georgina Sierra, presented AstroChat on ‘The Asteroid Pallas Athena - Embracing the Goddess Within’. In her talk, which was again illustrated with beautiful slides, Georgina spoke on the mythology of the ancient Greek goddess Pallas Athena and her emergence fully-formed from the head of Zeus, and she discussed what the goddess Pallas Athena represents for us in understanding life through creativity, wisdom, and fairness. Georgina described the placements of Pallas Athena in the birth chart by sign to assist the audience in embracing their inner goddess. You can read more about Georgina Sierra’s presentation in the Speaker’s Report in Orbits.
Georgina is a professional astrologer based in Sydney. She holds a Master of Science degree, and before finding her life purpose, worked as a research scientist in chemistry at Sydney University, also with stints in aviation, theatre, and music. Astrology became a passion for Georgina at the tender age of 11 years old, and a few decades later this passion is stronger than ever. Astrology inspires Georgina and she loves transferring that inspiration to her clients. Georgina is also a clairsentient and an angel tarot reader. After graduating from Sydney Astrology School, Georgina obtained an internationally recognised diploma in astrology (FAA Practitioners Diploma). She is a member of the Federation of Australian Astrologers (FAA) and the Organisation of Professional Astrologers (OPA).
Georgina offers a unique combination of evolutionary (modern) astrology with traditional astrological techniques, tarot, and clairsentience. She enjoys arming her clients with the energy and knowledge to pursue their passions on their life paths. You can find out more about Georgina Sierra and the consulting services she offers on her website georginasierra.com.
Pallas Athena and Dame Edna
It was a delight to meet Georgina and have a chat about chemistry as well as astrology. As luck would have it, we had both worked in the Chemistry Department at Sydney University - myself in the mid 1970s several decades before Georgina! The same staff members were still there, just ever so slightly older in Georgina’s day, and we were able to share reminiscences.
Following Georgina’s presentation, I went off to research Pallas Athena in my own birth chart, and found a few significant transit events, especially a recent transiting Saturn conjunction to Pallas Athena. As a result Pallas Athena was very much in my consciousness. Then just last weekend at an advanced numerology group, we were looking at the life of the recently passed Barry Humphries alongside a couple of the comedy characters he had invented - the loud and effervescent Dame Edna Everage and the drunk and disreputable Sir Les Patterson. The latter has a fictional date of birth (ref: Wikipedia) which is strongly linked to Barry Humphries’ birth chart, while it seems that Dame Edna has only a first performance date.
While describing this to the numerology group, quite unconsciously I said words to the effect that ‘Dame Edna was born on stage out of Barry Humphries’ head!’. Suddenly, I realised what I’d said - that I had just described the birth of Dame Edna as if she was Pallas Athena emerging from the head of Zeus. Later I researched both charts, and sure enough there are interesting Pallas Athena connections: for example, Pallas Athena conjunct Mercury in Pisces in Barry Humphries’ 1st House in close sextile to Dame Edna’s Pallas Athena conjunct Venus in Capricorn. Perhaps this could be an interesting case for further study?
This Month’s Meeting on Saturday 10th June - Mini Workshop from 9 am - 12 noon
The AANSW Committee is delighted to welcome international astrologer, Kelly Surtees (formerly from Sydney), who will be presenting a mini-workshop on Progressions and Transits live from Canada on Saturday 10th June from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The early start time is due to the time difference between Sydney and Canada. The title of Kelly’s mini-workshop is ‘Predictive Pathways: Working with the Progressed Moon and Transits’
The main purpose of Kelly’s mini-workshop is to explain how to blend the progressed Moon with key transits to enhance and improve predictive astrology skills, for example by learning how to weave together insights from the progressed Moon sign and phase with important planetary transits. The Saturn return and other major transits from Uranus, Neptune or Pluto are quite different and unique for everyone. Real life examples will be used to help attendees see the power of these simple predictive combinations in action. The mini-workshop will enhance an attendee’s understanding of the progressed Moon phases and will explore how these cycles inform the way we experience and respond to transits.
AANSW members and guests are invited to join Kelly for a fun, inspiring and insightful workshop where attendees will learn tools and techniques to assist with predictive astrology. Kelly will share insights to guide attendees to a deeper understanding of these core timing tools. You can read about Kelly Surtees’ online mini-work shop in the Events Section of Orbits.
Kelly Surtees travels worldwide to teach practical and accessible astrology which combines traditional techniques with a modern mindset. Kelly has established herself in an astrological career that includes a full roster of clients, a monthly astrology membership, an online astrology training program, webinars and classes. A class with Kelly is full of inspiration, insight, useful techniques and practical wisdom. When Kelly isn’t teaching, she dreams of the ocean, and often has her hands in the garden. You can find out more about Kelly Surtees, her training programs and consulting services at www.kellysastrology.com.
Astrological Commentary on USA, Russia and Australia
USA’s Debt and Fundamental Values [Pluto re-enters Capricorn on 11/06 at 19:48 AEST]
US President Joe Biden and Republican Leader of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy finally reached a deal on the US debt ceiling, which now sits at $US31.4 trillion, over the weekend of 27th-28th May. Global markets have welcomed the deal, though it essentially ‘kicks the can down the road’ until 1st January 2025, following the US Federal Election in November 2024, and has a minimal impact on US debt reduction. The financial world had been extremely nervous concerning a possible US default, especially after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that funds would run out on 5th June! So it’s possible that a major financial crisis and US recession with massive job losses has been averted just in time.
With Pluto about to retrograde from Aquarius into Capricorn on 11th June, and given the financial havoc wrought as Pluto entered Capricorn from Sagittarius for the first time on 26th January 2008 almost simultaneously with the onset of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the world may have dodged a financial bullet in 2023. USA’s Pluto return is still operational in the 2nd House of Finances, Resources and Values [Sibly chart: 04/07/1776 at 5:10 pm LMT, Philadelphia], so a lot more financial and debt reform would have been appropriate. During the ‘spend-a-thon’ of the Obama years, US debt increased from $10.025 trillion to $19.573 trillion from 30/09/2008 to 30/09/2016 partly due to GFC bailouts and support payments. A more rapid ‘spend-a-thon’ occurred in the Trump years when US debt increased to $27.748 trillion in only 4 years to 30/09/2020, mainly due to tax cuts and COVID-19 relief. (Ref: US National Debt by Year sourced from https://www.thebalancemoney.com on 26/05/23).
And speaking of dodging bullets, disturbing statistics have emerged in the USA concerning the life expectancy of US children, which has fallen in recent years due to the impact of gun deaths [in 2021, 3600 children in USA died of gun violence; from 2019-2020 homicide in the age group 10-19 increased 39%]. USA’s Pluto return in the 2nd House of Values may have been asking other important questions as well as financial management. For example, ‘what is more important ... lives of US children ... or the right to own and carry a gun?’ (The Australian, ‘US kids one of the most endangered species on Earth’, Claire Lehmann,12/05/23).
Russia, Putin and Revolution [Pluto in Aquarius from 23/03 to 11/06]
In the last few weeks there have been two drone attacks on Moscow, blamed by the Kremlin on Ukraine which has forcefully denied involvement. Some media reports have suggested ‘false flag’ operations by President Putin to provide an excuse to hit Ukraine with even more missiles and drones. As an ex-KGB operative, Mr Putin has been suspected of launching ‘false flag’ attacks in Russia in the past to achieve a domestic or foreign policy aim. President Putin has accused Ukraine of ‘terrorist attacks’, which is a bit rich coming from Russia!
In the last few weeks, there have also been military incursions across the border into Russia carried out by Russian partisans, one such unit called the Free Russia Legion, whose leader says they have ‘thousands’more wanting to join the fight to free Russia from the oppression of Putin’s regime (The Australian, ‘“Tsar” Putin told “stand aside of face revolution”’, George Grylls & Maxim Tucker, 01/06/23). A former Russian opposition MP, Ilya Ponomarev, has even warned of a 1917-style revolution and urged President Putin to give himself up (which seems an unlikely event voluntarily) or face revolution. The founder of the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting in Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has also warned of a revolution in Russia when the people tire of their young men being sent to the front in Ukraine while the children of Kremlin elites are protected from military service. It has even been rumoured that Mr Prigozhin himself is already plotting a coup against the Putin regime.
So how is this mirrored in the astrology and numerology for the Russian Federation and Mr Putin? Pluto’s brief passage into early Aquarius has triggered Russia’s early Capricorn Sun [= leadership] by a waxing semi-sextile - a ‘new cycle’ is beginning. When Pluto returns to Aquarius in early 2024, this pressure on Russia’s Sun in Capricorn will increase, and in 2025 the cardinal conjunction of Saturn and Neptune in early Aries will tightly square Russia’s Sun. Transiting Uranus in early Gemini quincunx Russia’s Sun may finish the job [Russian Federation: 25/12/1991 at 7:19:40 pm, Moscow; V.Putin: 07/10/1952 at 9:30 am, St Petersburg].
In 2023, President Putin’s secondary progressed Sun conjuncts his natal Mars, and progressed Mars conjuncts his natal North Node, suggesting he is not going to stop fighting any time soon. His Personal Year for 2023 [= 15/6] also suggests the same, however his challenges are the same numbers 156 [relating to Mars like conflict], and his current birthday chart from 2022 [like a Solar Return] suggests Mars challenges. Added to this mix, are transiting Uranus squares to Mr Putin’s Nodal axis and MC-IC axis, which began moving closer at the Solar Eclipse on 20th April, and will intensify at the October 2023 Solar Eclipse. Under this accumulation of circumstances it is possible Vladimir Putin may not see out the year!
President Putin is reportedly keen to attend in person the upcoming BRICS meeting (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in August 2023 and South Africa has apparently granted him immunity from arrest by the International Criminal Court (The Australian, The Editor, 02/06/23). Challenge patterns involving Number 156, however, often relate to legal and court battles, so Mr Putin could be tempting fate if he chose to set foot in South Africa!
Australia - Security, Inflation, Leaks, Legals and Indigenous Voice
In Australia, Pluto’s short term entry into Aquarius on 23rd March [till 11th June] and subsequent station on 1st May has positively engaged the nation’s Nodal Axis in early degrees of Sagittarius and Gemini. Simultaneously, the quest for an Indigenous Voice to parliament was activated [the proposed wording was revealed by Prime Minister Albanese on 23rd March] and will be resolved by a national referendum sometime between October and December.
Although currently located in early degrees of Aquarius, transiting Pluto has still maintained a close square to Australia’s Ascendant at 29 deg. 35 min. of Aries, symbolising a ‘potential threat’ from the 9th House of international relations. This ‘potential threat’ and its urgency could possibly escalate when Pluto retrogrades into Capricorn on 11th June, strengthening the Pluto square Ascendant aspect in cardinal signs and becoming exact on 2nd July. Back in April 2022, when transiting Pluto moved to a station in late degrees of Capricorn on 29th April 2022, a national security emergency developed for Australia involving China’s apparent move on the Solomon Islands, catching the Morrison government with its proverbial ‘pants down’!
Federal Budget and Deflationary Spending
Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered his first full budget on Tuesday 9th May under Mercury retrograde [with Neptune square Jupiter and Mercury also in force], with various new spending and cost-of-living relief measures described as inflationary by some economists. Dr Chalmers and PM Albanese defended their budget and claimed instead that the budget measures were ‘deflationary’. The truth will be in the pudding, though under transiting Neptune square natal Jupiter and Mercury, what that ‘truth’ will be may be hard to discern. Perhaps a cartoon by Johannes Leak in The Australian on 12th May best described the claims and counter claims, as a media commentator looked on in amazement as Jim Chalmers appeared to pour petrol on an Australia-shaped ‘Inflation’ fire. Dr Chalmers said, ‘Yeah it’s petrol, but the non-flammable kind’. The Reserve Bank of Australia will no doubt be left to figure that one out!
Leaks of Anti-Tax Avoidance Policy
As astrologers are well aware, Neptune is not a big supporter of boundaries and stressful squares from transiting Neptune can often manifest as ‘leaks’. Leaks of personal information in late 2022 and early 2023 have been commonplace, e.g. Optus, Medicare, Latitude Finance and many others. What we have not seen so far are leaks of confidential international tax policy, allegedly by PwC, global tax advisor to the federal government!
When former Treasurer Joe Hockey handed down his 2015 budget, it included new legislation to rein in multinational tax avoidance. By 2016, the Australian Tax Office (ATO) was bemused to find many large international corporations were suddenly changing their tax structuring, as if they had ‘inside information’ on what the Australian government was implementing. Well the answer is these international corporations did indeed have ‘inside information’, allegedly provided by an international tax partner at PwC, who had assisted the ATO and federal government in formulating these very policies!
In 2016, transiting Chiron was beginning to approach a waxing Chiron-Chiron square from late Pisces to late Sagittarius [in 2017 and 2018], which precisely encapsulated the Banking Royal Commission in Australia and the Ball Tampering Scandal in South Africa. Chiron has always been a stickler for upholding ethical values! Behind the scenes, some dubious tax avoidance strategies may have been underway by the timing of the Chiron waxing square using one of the alleged 15 tax minimisation schemes allegedly on offer from PwC (you can’t make this stuff up!) It is only now during a ‘leaky’ Neptune transiting square to Jupiter, Mercury and Chiron [from 2022 to 2024] that these tax avoidance strategies have been exposed.
On 1st June, Eric Johnston reported in The Australian that the chair of PwC’s US operation, Tim Ryan, had spoken in early 2023 of the importance of trust in a large organisation (The Australian, ‘Can giant’s Australian arm survive intact?’, 01/06/23). Under transiting Neptune square Jupiter, trust may be easier said than won!
Trust in the Legal System
Without going into any specifics on the Board of Inquiry into the ACT’s justice system being conducted by Walter Sofronoff KC into the circumstances surrounding the 2022 trial of Bruce Lehrmann (as the inquiry is still ongoing), the Board of Inquiry has also raised issues around ‘trust’! This time it is trust in ACT’s justice system, and this would appear to be another classic example of Neptune square Jupiter [Jupiter can represent the principles of the law].
In 2022, Walter Sofronoff KC also led the forensic inquiry into the DNA scandal within the Queensland Health Department which compromised a massive number of criminal cases. Heads have since rolled in Queensland and procedures changed as a result of the inquiry, to restore trust and integrity to Queensland Health’s DNA Laboratory. A similar result may emerge for the ACT’s justice system, where the circumstances surrounding the ‘bigger than Ben Hur’ trial and the attendant media extravaganza have raised serious questions around ‘trust’ in the legal system - concerning the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
The Indigenous Voice
The Joint Parliamentary Committee into the Indigenous Voice to parliament held its last public meeting on 1st May [as Pluto stationed in early Aquarius, sextile Australia’s North Node] and reported to the Albanese government a few days early on Friday 12th May [with Mercury still retrograde]. The nation is still under the influence of ongoing squares from transiting Neptune to Jupiter, Mercury, Chiron and Neptune, which by their very nature will challenge the nation’s clarity of thought and ability to see behind the ‘vibe’ surrounding the Indigenous Voice to ensure any outstanding legal issues are properly explored.
On Sunday 21st May, political strategist Parnell Palme McGuinness wrote in the Sun Herald (‘Panic stations for Yes campaign’) that polls for the newspaper showed support for the Voice had slipped to 53% and the voting trend was downward. Ms McGuinness noted, ‘The window for making changes to the referendum words was closing fast’, and outlined four proposed changes that emerged in the Joint Committee. As it turned out, the Labor-dominated committee ignored all suggested changes to make the Voice proposal more palatable to the public.
So, despite testimony from various notable legal figures (from both YES and NO camps) who argued that ‘executive government’ should be removed from the Prime Minister’s proposed wording, the Labor-dominated committee of inquiry had reported to Mr Albanese that no changes were required to the wording of the constitutional amendment. The committee preferred to accept the opinions of legal experts exclusively from the YES camp, and no effort was made to clarify the extent of the Indigenous Voice’s power to advise beyond Indigenous issues. Mr Albanese has always insisted publicly when challenged on the Voice’s power that there was nothing to fear as the proposed constitutional change would be ‘modest’.
Earlier this week on Monday 29th May, Prime Minister Albanese delivered the Lowitja O’Donaghue oration in Adelaide to a sympathetic audience, and dropped his guard on the ‘modest’ nature of his proposal for an Indigenous Voice. The political editor of The Australian, Dennis Shanahan (‘Truth-telling PM outs himself on the removal of modesty, 31/05/23) reported that Mr Albanese had dropped his public rhetoric that the referendum proposal was ‘gracious and modest’ and clearly stated, ‘So let us not content ourselves with modest change. Let us not fill our hearts with the empty warmth of the merely symbolic.’
Armed with the inside knowledge that the nation is currently being assailed by multiple Neptune squares to Jupiter, Mercury, Chiron and Neptune, Mr Albanese’s unexpected moment of candour and openness on the Indigenous Voice is worriesome. What more is there that Australian citizens do not know before they are asked to vote on a very significant change to the constitution? On Wednesday 31st May, the Constitutional Amendment Bill passed through the House of Representatives on a 121 to 25 vote, outlining the question and constitutional amendment that will be voted on at the referendum to be held between October and December 2023. National Party MPs and some Liberal MPs voted against the Bill, so they can become involved in drafting the explanatory leaflet for the NO case.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney commented on 31st May that the government had been ‘extraordinarily careful and consultative in relation to the question and the amendment’ (The Australian, ‘Voice campaign “gets into full swing”’, Rosie Lewis, 01/06/23). Regardless, the polls show many Australian citizens are unsure of the details surrounding the Voice, and while Prime Minister Albanese has always insisted the design details will be worked out later by parliament after the referendum, it seems the government may in fact know more details than they are letting on! Ms Lewis noted that ‘Ms Burney did not rule out releasing more design principles or information on how the voice would work in practice.’ Given the deceptive nature of the Neptune squares active in Australia’s birth chart, the federal government’s stubbornly secretive strategy on the Indigenous Voice is extremely concerning.
On Tuesday 30th May, the Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley in parliament had urged Anthony Albanese not to ‘rush to failure’ (The Australian, ‘Ley warns Albanese: don’t “bully” nation on voice’, Rosie Lewis, 31/05/23). Ms Ley called on PM Albanese to work together with the Coalition to legislate the Indigenous Voice and thereafter move forward together on constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians.
However, it seems the Prime Minister is not for turning, and with the Attorney General Mark Dreyfus insisting on 31st May that it was vital the Indigenous Voice could advise executive government, the YES and NO positions now seem well entrenched. The only thing we don’t know (apart from the design details) is the referendum date ... only 5 months to go.
Invitation to June Meeting
AANSW invites you to join with like-minded people at the online mini-workshop on 10th June on GoToMeeting. If you would like to attend, please register with Kate Holden by 12:00 noon on Friday 9th June for the mini-workshop presented by Kelly Surtees, ‘Predictive Pathways: Working with the Progressed Moon and Transits’, on Saturday 10th June from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Please arrive online in good time, as announcements and introductions will start around 8:45 am, and the mini-workshop with Kelly Surtees will commence at 9:00 am sharp.
For advanced news of monthly AANSW meetings and future events, please refer to Orbits and to the new AANSW website at <www.astrologynsw.com.au>. You don’t have to be a member of AANSW to attend our meetings, everyone is very welcome.
Dr Neil Hair, AANSW President
